Why Gmail prompts users to unsubscribe

One of the questions I hear most often is: “Do unsubscribes hurt sender reputation?” Let’s talk about it. Short answer: No, they don’t. “But whyyyy? Make it make sense.” Well, mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo not only support easy unsubscribes to improve user experience…in 2024, they require it. It's their way of keeping the email ecosystem healthy and users happy. 🌟 Here's why unsubscribes are actually good for deliverability: 💌 They help avoid spam complaints: I’d rather have an unsubscribe over a spam complaint any day of the week! Yahoo told me that making it easier to unsubscribe is reducing spam complaints by ~30% for senders. 💌 They’re an early warning signal: High unsubscribes can indicate issues with list collection, segmentation, and/or content…before it impacts you inbox placement. Investigate and address these early to prevent bigger problems. 💌 They improve the recipient experience: Happy recipients are less likely to mark emails as spam, keeping your deliverability intact. When to worry about unsubscribes: ❗️ If your rates are consistently above 1%. Figure, if many people are unsubbing, others may be marking your emails as spam instead. Those *are* bad for deliverability. Like, really bad. Gunshot-to-the-chest kind of bad. Nip those negative reactions in the bud. ❗️ People unsubscribing right after joining your list. ❗️ Unsub reasons like “I didn’t sign up” or “this isn’t what I asked for”. What to do if unsubscribes are high: 1️⃣ Investigate where and why it's happening. 2️⃣ Try to understand what’s driving them (sending to purchased lists, lack of permission, irrelevant content, not aligning with the expectations you set during signup). 3️⃣ Take action! Elevated unsubscribes on their own aren’t gonna cause deliverability issues. But they’re a sign of negative sentiment. FIX IT before they lead to spam complaints. It’s always better to have someone unsubscribe than to mark your email as spam. If you don’t make it easy for them to leave through the front door (that oh-so-easy-to-find unsubscribe), they will find a way…likely through the emergency exit (ahem, the spam button) that sounds all the alarms and brings the fire department running. Stop worrying about list churn. Start celebrating the fact that people were kind enough to unsubscribe instead of doing something that hurts more than just your email writin' heart. Focus on engaging the folks who are still riding the wave with you. And if you wanna learn more about why unsubscribes aren't bad for deliverability and what to do with ‘em, read my blog! 💌 #emailmarketing #email #deliverability #senditright

31,694 people unsubscribed from this DTC brand's emails over a 6 month period (that's a 2.6% unsubscribe rate, ouchie!) Klaviyo audit project for this eCommerce store that meant I had to roll up my sleeves. When most people see a number like that, they panic. I don’t. Every unsubscribe tells a story, and my job is to figure out what it’s saying. So, I dove into the data. Gmail’s one-click unsubscribe was responsible for a huge chunk of the drop-off. That was my first clue: people weren’t scrolling to the bottom of the email to hit “unsubscribe.” They were taking the fastest way out. I asked myself three key questions: ↳ 1. Was it the content? Were the topics we covered still relevant to subscribers, or had we missed the mark? ↳ 2. Was it the timing? Were emails landing at the wrong moments, making them easy to ignore or delete? ↳ 3. Was it the experience? Were people frustrated by the email design, frequency, or lack of personalization? Here’s what I found: ↳ It wasn’t just one thing. Subscriber fatigue had built up over time. ↳ Some people unsubscribed not because they hated the content, but because they’d outgrown it (surveys can reveal some of this, but not at scale). ↳ The one-click option made impulsive decisions easier, it wasn’t always about dissatisfaction. So, instead of overhauling the entire strategy, I made small adjustments: 1. Focused more on onboarding new subscribers to set expectations early. 2. Gave people more control over what they received by offering clear preference settings. Accepted that unsubscribes are natural. Not everyone is meant to stay. The result? Fewer complaints. A higher engagement rate. And most importantly, peace of mind knowing I’m keeping the right people, not just chasing a big number. Sometimes, unsubscribes aren’t a sign of failure. They’re a sign you’re evolving. Tool screenshot: Hiro Analytics

Gmail just gave your b2c audience a giant “unsubscribe from everything” button. That’s it. One click. You’re out. It’s called Manage Subscriptions. A clean, simple dashboard showing every brand in their inbox. Sorted by how often you email. People are tired. And platforms are finally helping them protect their time. So if you’re a B2C marketer, here’s what it means and what you can do: Start with your frequency. If you’re sending too often without real intent, this new Gmail tool will expose you fast. It lets users sort by “brands that email the most.” That’s where the unsubscribes happen. So dial it back. Let behavior guide when you show up, not the calendar. Then look at value per email. If someone opens your message, are they glad they did? Promotions are fine. But they can’t be empty. If every email feels like noise, that “unsubscribe” button gets clicked. Focus on personalization that actually matters. Lifecycle triggers. Browsing behavior. Purchase history. Location. Timing. This isn’t about first names in subject lines. It’s about relevance in the moment. Revisit your opt-in process too. Gmail’s changes make it clear: passive subscribers aren’t safe. If someone signed up years ago and forgot why, they’re likely gone now. So make sure new subscribers want what you’re offering. Set expectations. Deliver consistently. Embrace the unsubscribe, it’s not the enemy, it’s clarity. Email still works, but now it only works if you’ve truly earned your place in the inbox. tagging Jacqueline Freedman 🦋 Juan Mendoza Shana Haynie for their thoughts as well :)